Four people have been jailed for illegally dumping nearly 820,000 tons of construction waste, causing severe harm to the environment. Excessive levels of toxins were uncovered in nearby soil and water, and cleaning the contaminated area cost more than 25 million yuan (US$3.9 million).

Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University have developed new equipment for the application of a waste water treatment technology. The new equipment has already been applied at industrial zones in east China’s Jiangsu Province, where it has proven effective and capable of large-scale application.

The agreement will focus on urban planning, industrial promotion and public services. The water authority of the two regions will also make plans to clear out hyacinth plants in the water and monitor the air quality as part of preparations for the upcoming China International Import Expo.

Shanghai saw slight to moderate air pollution yesterday, with ozone being the major pollutant. At 2pm, the city’s average air quality index (AQI) reading was 128, or slightly polluted, according to Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center.

Construction of a hydrogen station started Monday in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, as the city plans to operate 100 hydrogen-powered buses this year. The hydrogen storage volume of the station will reach 1,000 kg, making it the country's largest in both storage and supply capacity, the company said.

"The G7 have pledged to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, but they don't have any systems in terms of accountability to meet the pledges – they don't have road maps or plans," said the head of the ODI's climate division.

In Shizhu, an industrial park plan introduced in 2009 misappropriated over 336 hectares of a wetland nature reserve, seriously damaging land vegetation and the eco-system. Meanwhile, Yulin is way behind schedule on plans for water pollution control projects, while Yichun failed to address dust pollution as required.

The 4th Youth Innovation Competition on the Lancang-Mekong Region’s Governance and Development will be held in late January next year in Cambodia. Following the theme "Green Consumption, Production and Social Development," interested students from the region will submit project proposals with recommendation letters from one or two mentors by October 8.

Starting today, Shanghai residents can report violations of environmental laws via a new WeChat account. The highest reward for informers has also been raised to 50,000 yuan (US$7,800), up from the previous ceiling of 10,000 yuan. Such measures are meant to get the public more involved in the application of environmental regulations.